January 1
January 1 is the first day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. There are 364 days remaining until the end of the year (365 inleap years). History During the Middle Ages under the influence of the Catholic Church, many countries in western Europe moved the start of the year to one of several important Christian festivals – December 25 (the Nativity of Jesus), March 1, March 25 (the Annunciation), or even Easter. Eastern European countries (most of them with populations showing allegiance to the Orthodox Church) began their numbered year on September 1 from about 988.[citation needed] In England, January 1 was celebrated as the New Year festival, but from the 12th century to 1752 the year in England began on March 25 (Lady Day). So, for example, the Parliamentary record notes the execution of Charles I as occurring on January 30, 1648, (as the year did not end until March 24), although modern histories adjust the start of the year to January 1 and record the execution as occurring in 1649. Most western European countries changed the start of the year to January 1 before they adopted the Gregorian calendar. For example, Scotland changed the start of the Scottish New Year to January 1 in 1600. England, Ireland and the British colonies changed the start of the year to January 1 in 1752. Later that year in September, the Gregorian calendar was introduced throughout Britain and the British colonies. These two reforms were implemented by the Calendar (New Style) Act 1750. January 1 became the official start of the year as follows: *1362 Grand Duchy of Lithuania *1522 Republic of Venice *1544 Holy Roman Empire (Germany) *1556 Spain, Portugal *1559 Prussia, Sweden *1564 France *1576 Southern Netherlands *1579 Duchy of Lorraine *1583 Dutch Republic (northern) *1600 Scotland *1700 Russia *1721 Tuscany *1752 Great Britain (excluding Scotland) and its colonies Events *153 BC – Roman consuls begin their year in office. *45 BC – The Julian calendar takes effect as the civil calendar of the Roman Empire, establishing January 1 as the new date of the new year. *42 BC – The Roman Senate posthumously deifies Julius Caesar *69 – The Roman legions in Germania Superior refuse to swear loyalty to Galba. They rebel and proclaim Vitellius as emperor. *193 – The Senate chooses Pertinax against his will to succeed Commodus as Roman emperor. *404 – An infuriated Roman mob tears Telemachus, a Christian monk, to pieces for trying to stop a gladiators' fight in the public arena held in Rome. *414 – Galla Placidia, half-sister of Emperor Honorius, is married to the Visigothic king Ataulf at Narbonne. The wedding is celebrated with Roman festivities and magnificent gifts from the Gothic booty. *417 – Emperor Honorius forces Galla Placidia into marriage to Constantius, his famous general (magister militum). *1001 – Grand Prince Stephen I of Hungary is named the first King of Hungary by Pope Sylvester II. *1068 – Romanos IV Diogenes marries Eudokia Makrembolitissa and is crowned Byzantine Emperor. *1259 – Michael VIII Palaiologos is proclaimed co-emperor of the Empire of Nicaea with his ward John IV Laskaris. *1438 – Albert II of Habsburg is crowned King of Hungary. *1502 – The present-day location of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil is first explored by the Portuguese. *1515 – King Francis I of France succeeds to the French throne. *1527 – Croatian nobles elect Ferdinand I of Austria as King of Croatia in the Parliament on Cetin. *1600 – Scotland begins its numbered year on January 1 instead of March 25. *1651 – Charles II is crowned King of Scotland. *1700 – Russia begins using the Anno Domini era and no longer uses the Anno Mundi era of the Byzantine Empire. *1707 – John V is crowned King of Portugal. *1739 – Bouvet Island is discovered by French explorer Jean-Baptiste Charles Bouvet de Lozier. *1772 – The first traveler's cheques, which can be used in 90 European cities, go on sale in London, England. *1773 – The hymn that became known as "Amazing Grace", then titled "1 Chronicles 17:16–17" is first used to accompany a sermon led by John Newton in the town of Olney, England. *1776 – American Revolutionary War: Norfolk, Virginia is burned by combined Royal Navy and Continental Army action. *1781 – American Revolutionary War: One thousand five hundred soldiers of the 6th Pennsylvania Regiment under General Anthony Wayne's command rebel against the Continental Army's winter camp in Morristown, New Jersey in the Pennsylvania Line Mutiny of 1781. *1788 – First edition of The Times of London, previously The Daily Universal Register, is published. *1800 – The Dutch East India Company is dissolved. *1801 – The legislative union of Kingdom of Great Britain and Kingdom of Ireland is completed to form the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland. *1801 – The dwarf planet Ceres is discovered by Giuseppe Piazzi. *1803 – Emperor Gia Long orders all bronze wares of the Tây Sơn dynasty to be collected and melted into nine cannons for the Royal Citadel in Huế,Vietnam. *1804 – French rule ends in Haiti. Haiti becomes the first black republic and second independent country in North America after the United States *1806 – The French Republican Calendar is abolished. *1808 – The importation of slaves into the United States is banned. *1810 – Major-General Lachlan Macquarie officially becomes Governor of New South Wales *1812 – The Bishop of Durham, Shute Barrington, orders troops from Durham Castle to break up a miners' strike in Chester-le-Street, Co. Durham *1822 – The Greek Constitution of 1822 is adopted by the First National Assembly at Epidaurus. *1833 – The United Kingdom claims sovereignty over the Falkland Islands. *1845 – The Cobble Hill Tunnel in Brooklyn, New York City is completed. *1847 – The world's first "Mercy" Hospital is founded in Pittsburgh by the Sisters of Mercy, the name will go on to grace over 30 major hospitals throughout the world. *1860 – First Polish stamp is issued. *1861 – Porfirio Díaz conquers Mexico City, Mexico. *1863 – American Civil War: The Emancipation Proclamation takes effect in Confederate territory. *1863 – The first claim under the Homestead Act is made by Daniel Freeman for a farm in Nebraska. *1870 – Adolf Loos, architect, co-founder of modern architecture, baptized in St. Thomas church, Brno, Moravia *1873 – Japan begins using the Gregorian calendar. *1877 – Queen Victoria of the United Kingdom is proclaimed Empress of India. *1880 – Ferdinand de Lesseps begins French construction of the Panama Canal. *1885 – Twenty-five nations adopt Sandford Fleming's proposal for standard time (and also, time zones) *1890 – Eritrea is consolidated into a colony by the Italian government. *1890 – The Rose Parade in Pasadena, California, is first held. *1892 – Ellis Island opens to begin processing immigrants into the United States. *1894 – The Manchester Ship Canal, is officially opened to traffic. *1898 – New York, New York annexes land from surrounding counties, creating the City of Greater New York. The four initial boroughs, Manhattan,Brooklyn, Queens, and The Bronx, are joined on January 25 by Staten Island to create the modern city of five boroughs. *1899 – Spanish rule ends in Cuba. *1901 – Nigeria becomes a British protectorate. *1901 – The British colonies of New South Wales, Queensland, Victoria, South Australia, Tasmania, and Western Australia federate as the Commonwealth of Australia; Edmund Barton is appointed the first Prime Minister. *1902 – The first American college football bowl game, the Rose Bowl between Michigan and Stanford, is held in Pasadena, California. *1906 – British India officially adopts Indian Standard Time. *1908 – For the first time, a ball is dropped in New York City's Times Square to signify the start of the New Year at midnight. *1909 – Drilling begins on the Lakeview Gusher. *1910 – Captain David Beatty is promoted to Rear admiral, and becomes the youngest admiral in the Royal Navy (except for Royal family members), sinceHoratio Nelson. *1911 – Northern Territory is separated from South Australia and transferred to Commonwealth control. *1912 – The Republic of China is established. *1913 – The British Board of Censors is established. *1916 – German troops abandon Yaoundé and their Kamerun colony to British forces and begin the long march to Spanish Guinea. *1920 – The Belorussian Communist Organisation is founded as a separate party. *1923 – Britain's Railways are grouped into the Big Four: LNER, GWR, SR, and LMS. *1927 – The Cristero War begins in Mexico. *1927 – Turkey adopts the Gregorian calendar: December 18, 1926 (Julian), is immediately followed by January 1, 1927 (Gregorian). *1928 – Boris Bazhanov defects through Iran. He is the only assistant of Joseph Stalin's secretariat to have defected from the Eastern Bloc. *1929 – The former municipalities of Point Grey, British Columbia and South Vancouver, British Columbia are amalgamated into Vancouver. *1932 – The United States Post Office Department issues a set of 12 stamps commemorating the 200th anniversary of George Washington's birth. *1934 – Alcatraz Island becomes a United States federal prison. *1934 – Nazi Germany passes the "Law for the Prevention of Genetically Diseased Offspring". *1937 – Safety glass in vehicle windscreens becomes mandatory in the United Kingdom. *1939 – Sydney, Australia, swelters in 45 ˚C (113 ˚F) heat, a record for the city. *1942 – The Declaration by United Nations is signed by twenty-six nations. *1945 – World War II: In retaliation for the Malmedy massacre, U.S. troops massacre 30 SS prisoners at Chenogne. *1945 – World War II: The German Luftwaffe launches Operation Bodenplatte, a massive, but failed attempt to knock out Allied air power in northern Europe in a single blow. *1947 – The American and British occupation zones in Germany, after World War II, merge to form the Bizone, which later (with the French zone) became part of West Germany. *1947 – The Canadian Citizenship Act 1946 comes into effect, converting British subjects into Canadian citizens. Prime Minister William Lyon Mackenzie King becomes the first Canadian citizen. *1948 – The British railway network is nationalized to form British Railways. *1948 – The Constitution of Italy comes into force. *1949 – United Nations cease-fire takes effect in Kashmir from one minute before midnight. War between India and Pakistan stops accordingly. *1949 –Tokelau becomes part of New Zealand. *1950 – Standard practice uses this day as the origin of the age scale Before Present *1954 – NBC makes the first coast-to-coast NTSC color broadcast when it telecast the Tournament of Roses Parade, with public demonstrations given across the United States on prototype color receivers. *1956 – Sudan achieves independence from Egypt and the United Kingdom. *1956 – A new year event causes panic and stampedes at Yahiko Shrine, Yahiko, Niigata, Japan, killing at least 124 people. *1957 – George Town, Penang becomes a city by a royal charter granted by Elizabeth II. *1957 – An Irish Republican Army (IRA) unit attacks Brookeborough RUC barracks during Operation Harvest; two IRA volunteers killed. *1958 – The European Economic Community is established. *1959 – Fulgencio Batista, dictator of Cuba, is overthrown by Fidel Castro's forces during the Cuban Revolution. *1960 – Cameroon achieves independence from France and the United Kingdom. *1962 – Western Samoa achieves independence from New Zealand; its name is changed to the Independent State of Western Samoa. *1962 – United States Navy SEALs established. *1964 – The Federation of Rhodesia and Nyasaland is divided into the independent republics of Zambia and Malawi, and the British-controlled Rhodesia. *1965 – The People's Democratic Party of Afghanistan is founded in Kabul, Afghanistan. *1966 – A twelve-day New York City transit strike begins. *1966 – After a coup, Colonel Jean-Bédel Bokassa assumes power as president of the Central African Republic. *1970 – Unix time begins at 00:00:00 UTC/GMT. *1971 – Cigarette advertisements are banned on American television. *1971 – Hellenic Railways Organisation, the Greek national railway company, is founded. *1973 – Denmark, the United Kingdom, and Ireland are admitted into the European Economic Community. *1977 – Charter 77 published its first document. *1978 – Air India Flight 855 Boeing 747 crashes into the sea, due to instrument failure and pilot disorientation, off the coast of Bombay, India, killing 213. *1978 – The Constitution of the Northern Mariana Islands becomes effective. *1979 – Formal diplomatic relations are established between China and the United States. *1980 – Victoria is crowned princess of Sweden. *1981 – Greece is admitted into the European Community. *1981 – Palau achieves self-government though it is not independent from the United States. *1982 – Peruvian Javier Pérez de Cuéllar becomes the first Latin American to hold the title of Secretary-General of the United Nations. *1982 – ITV franchise ATV gets replaced by Central *1983 – The ARPANET officially changes to using the Internet Protocol, creating the Internet. *1984 – The original American Telephone & Telegraph Company is divested of its 22 Bell System companies as a result of the settlement of the 1974 United States Department of Justice antitrust suit against AT&T. *1984 – Brunei becomes independent of the United Kingdom. *1985 – The first British mobile phone call is made by Michael Harrison to his father Sir Ernest Harrison, chairman of Vodafone. *1986 – Aruba becomes independent of Curaçao, though it remains in free association with the Netherlands. *1986 – Spain and Portugal are admitted into the European Community. *1987 – A value-added tax is introduced in Greece for the first time. *1988 – The Evangelical Lutheran Church in America comes into existence, creating the largest Lutheran denomination in the United States. *1989 – The Montreal Protocol comes into force, stopping the use of chemicals contributing to ozone depletion. *1990 – David Dinkins is sworn in as New York City's first black mayor. *1992 – The Russian Federation is formally established. *1993 – Dissolution of Czechoslovakia: Czechoslovakia is divided into Slovakia and the Czech Republic. *1993 – A single market within the European Community is introduced. *1994 – The Zapatista Army of National Liberation initiates twelve days of armed conflict in the Mexican state of Chiapas. *1994 – The North American Free Trade Agreement comes into effect. *1995 – The World Trade Organization goes into effect. *1995 – Sweden, Austria, and Finland are admitted into the European Union. *1995 – The Conference forSECURITY and Co-operation in Europe becomes the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe. *1995 – The Draupner wave in the North Sea in Norway is detected, confirming the existence of freak waves. *1996 – Curaçao gains limited self-government, though it remains within free association with the Netherlands. *1997 – Zaire officially joins the World Trade Organization. *1997 – Ghanaian diplomat Kofi Annan is appointed Secretary-General of the United Nations. *1998 – Russia begins to circulate new rubles to stem inflation and promote confidence. *1998 – The European Central Bank is established. *1999 – The Euro currency is introduced in 11 countries - members of the European Union (with the exception of the United Kingdom, Denmark, Greece and Sweden). *2002 – Euro banknotes and coins become legal tender in twelve of the European Union's member states. *2002 – Taiwan officially joins the World Trade Organization, as Chinese Taipei. *2002 – The Open Skies mutual surveillance treaty, initially signed in 1992, officially comes into force. *2004 – In a vote of confidence, General Pervez Musharraf wins 658 out of 1,170 votes in the Electoral College of Pakistan, and according to Article 41(8) of the Constitution of Pakistan, is "deemed to be elected" to the office of President until October 2007. *2007 – Bulgaria and Romania officially join the European Union. Slovenia joins Eurozone. *2007 – Adam Air Flight 574 disappears over Indonesia with 102 people on board. *2008 – Cyprus and Malta join the Eurozone. *2009 – Sixty-six people die in a nightclub fire in Bangkok, Thailand. *2009 – Slovakia joins the Eurozone. *2010 – A suicide car bomber detonates at a volleyball tournament in Lakki Marwat, Pakistan, killing 105 and injuring 100 more. *2011 – A bomb explodes as Coptic Christians in Alexandria, Egypt, leave a new year service, killing 23 people. *2011 – The Kallikratis plan becomes the new administrative system of Greece. *2011 – Estonia becomes the 17th member of the Eurozone. *2012 – A Moldovan civilian is fatally wounded by a Russian peacekeeper in the TransnistrianSECURITY zone, leading to demonstrations against Russia. *2013 – At least 60 people are killed and 200 injured in a stampede after celebrations at Félix Houphouët-Boigny Stadium in Abidjan, Ivory Coast. *2014 – Latvia becomes the 18th member of the Eurozone. *2015 – The Eurasian Economic Union comes into effect, creating a political and economic union between Russia, Belarus, Armenia, Kazakhstan andKyrgyzstan. *2015 – Lithuania becomes the 19th member of the Eurozone. Births *870 – Zwentibold, Frankish son of Arnulf of Carinthia (d. 900) *1431 – Pope Alexander VI (d. 1503) *1449 – Lorenzo de' Medici, Italian politician (d. 1492) *1467 – Sigismund I the Old, Polish king (d. 1548) *1484 – Huldrych Zwingli, Swiss pastor and theologian (d. 1531) *1488 – Magnus I, Duke of Saxe-Lauenburg (d. 1543) *1511 – Henry, Duke of Cornwall (d. 1511) *1516 – Margaret Leijonhufvud, Swedish wife of Gustav I of Sweden (d. 1551) *1557 – Stephen Bocskay, Romanian prince (d. 1606) *1600 – Friedrich Spanheim, Dutch theologian and academic (d. 1649) *1628 – Christoph Bernhard, German composer and theorist (d. 1692) *1638 – Emperor Go-Sai of Japan (d. 1685) *1655 – Christian Thomasius, German jurist and philosopher (d. 1728) *1684 – Arnold Drakenborch, Dutch scholar and author (d. 1748) *1704 – Soame Jenyns, English author, poet, and politician (d. 1787) *1709 – Johann Heinrich Hartmann Bätz, German-Dutch organ builder (d. 1770) *1711 – Baron Franz von der Trenck, Austrian soldier (d. 1749) *1714 – Giovanni Battista Mancini, Italian soprano and author (d. 1800) *1714 – Kristijonas Donelaitis, Lithuanian pastor and poet (d. 1780) *1735 – Paul Revere, American silversmith and engraver (d. 1818) *1745 – Anthony Wayne, American general and politician (d. 1796) *1750 – Frederick Muhlenberg, American minister and politician, 1st Speaker of the United States House of Representatives (d. 1801) *1752 – Betsy Ross, American seamstress; credited with designing the Flag of the United States (d. 1836) *1768 – Maria Edgeworth, Anglo-Irish author (d. 1849) *1774 – André Marie Constant Duméril, French zoologist and academic (d. 1860) *1779 – William Clowes, English publisher (d. 1847) *1803 – Guglielmo Libri Carucci dalla Sommaja, Italian mathematician and academic (d. 1869) *1806 – Lionel Kieseritzky, Estonian-French chess player (d. 1853) *1814 – Hong Xiuquan, Chinese rebel leader (d. 1864) *1819 – Arthur Hugh Clough, English-Italian poet and academic (d. 1861) *1823 – Sándor Petőfi, Hungarian poet and activist (d. 1849) *1833 – Robert Lawson, New Zealand architect, designed the Otago Boys' High School and Knox Church (d. 1902) *1834 – Ludovic Halévy, French author and playwright (d. 1908) *1839 – Ouida, English-Italian author (d. 1908) *1848 – John W. Goff, Irish-American lawyer and politician (d. 1924) *1852 – Eugène-Anatole Demarçay, French chemist and academic (d. 1904) *1854 – James George Frazer, Scottish anthropologist and academic (d. 1941) *1859 – Thibaw Min, Burmese king (d. 1916) *1860 – Dan Katchongva, American tribal leader and activist (d. 1972) *1860 – Jan Vilímek, Czech illustrator and painter (d. 1938) *1860 – John Cassidy, Irish sculptor and painter (d. 1939) *1860 – Michele Lega, Italian cardinal (d. 1935) *1863 – Pierre de Coubertin, French historian and educator, founded the International Olympic Committee (d. 1937) *1864 – Alfred Stieglitz, American photographer and curator (d. 1946) *1864 – Qi Baishi, Chinese painter (d. 1957) *1867 – Mary Ackworth Evershed, English astronomer and Dante scholar (d. 1949) *1867 – Lew Fields, American actor, producer, and manager (d. 1941) *1868 – Snitz Edwards, Hungarian-American actor (d. 1937) *1871 – Montagu Toller, English cricketer and lawyer (d. 1948) *1873 – Mariano Azuela, Mexican physician and author (d. 1952) *1874 – Frank Knox, American publisher and politician, 46th United States Secretary of the Navy (d. 1944) *1874 – Gustave Whitehead, German-American pilot and engineer (d. 1927) *1877 – Alexander von Staël-Holstein, German sinologist and orientalist (d. 1937) *1878 – Agner Krarup Erlang, Danish mathematician, statistician, and engineer (d. 1929) *1879 – E. M. Forster, English author and playwright (d. 1970) *1879 – William Fox, Hungarian-American screenwriter and producer, founded the Fox Film Corporation and Fox Theatres (d. 1952) *1880 – Vajiravudh, Thai king (d. 1925) *1883 – William J. Donovan, American general, lawyer, and politician (d. 1959) *1885 – Béla Balogh, Hungarian actor, director, and screenwriter (d. 1945) *1887 – Wilhelm Canaris, German admiral (d. 1945) *1888 – Georgios Stanotas, Greek general (d. 1965) *1888 – John Garand, Canadian-American engineer, designed the M1 Garand rifle (d. 1974) *1889 – Charles Bickford, American actor and singer (d. 1967) *1890 – Anton Melik, Slovenian geographer and academic (d. 1966) *1891 – Sampurnanand, Indian educator and politician, 3rd Governor of Rajasthan (d. 1969) *1892 – Artur Rodziński, Polish-born American conductor (d. 1958) *1892 – Mahadev Desai, Indian activist (d. 1942) *1892 – Manuel Roxas, Filipino lawyer and politician, 5th President of the Philippines (d. 1948) *1893 – Mordehai Frizis, Greek colonel (d. 1940) *1894 – Satyendra Nath Bose, Indian physicist and mathematician (d. 1974) *1894 – Shitsu Nakano, Japanese super-centenarian (d. 2007) *1894 – Iván Petrovich, Serbian actor (d. 1962) *1895 – J. Edgar Hoover, American 1st Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (d. 1972) *1900 – Chiune Sugihara, Japanese diplomat (d. 1986) *1900 – Xavier Cugat, Spanish-born American singer-songwriter (d. 1990) *1902 – Buster Nupen, South African cricketer and lawyer (d. 1977) *1904 – Fazal Ilahi Chaudhry, Pakistani lawyer and politician, 5th President of Pakistan (d. 1982) *1905 – Stanisław Mazur, Ukrainian-Polish mathematician and theorist (d. 1981) *1906 – Giovanni D'Anzi, Italian songwriter (d. 1974) *1907 – Kinue Hitomi, Japanese sprinter and long jumper (d. 1931) *1908 – Bill Tapia, American singer and guitarist (d. 2011) *1909 – Dana Andrews, American actor (d. 1992) *1909 – Dattaram Hindlekar, Indian cricketer (d. 1949) *1909 – Stepan Bandera, Ukrainian soldier and politician (d. 1959) *1911 – Audrey Wurdemann, American poet and author (d. 1960) *1911 – Basil Dearden, English director, producer, and screenwriter (d. 1971) *1911 – Hank Greenberg, American baseball player and lieutenant (d. 1986) *1911 – Roman Totenberg, Polish-American violinist and educator (d. 2012) *1912 – Boris Vladimirovich Gnedenko, Russian mathematician and historian (d. 1995) *1912 – Kim Philby, British double agent (d. 1988) *1912 – Nikiforos Vrettakos, Greek poet and academic (d. 1991) *1917 – Albert Mol, Dutch actor and author (d. 2004) *1917 – Jule Gregory Charney, American meteorologist and academic (d. 1981) *1918 – Edgar Price, American pilot and politician (d. 2012) *1918 – Patrick Anthony Porteous, Indian-Scottish colonel, Victoria Cross recipient (d. 2000) *1919 – Carole Landis, American actress and singer (d. 1948) *1919 – J. D. Salinger, American author (d. 2010) *1919 – Rocky Graziano, American boxer and actor (d. 1990) *1919 – Yoshio Tabata, Japanese singer-songwriter and guitarist (d. 2013) *1920 – Mahmoud Zoufonoun, Iranian-American violinist (d. 2013) *1920 – Osvaldo Cavandoli, Italian cartoonist (d. 2007) *1920 – Virgilio Savona, Italian singer-songwriter (Quartetto Cetra) (d. 2009) *1920 – Willie Fennell, Australian comedian and actor (d. 1992) *1921 – Alain Mimoun, Algerian-French runner (d. 2013) *1921 – César Baldaccini, French sculptor (d. 1998) *1921 – Ismail al-Faruqi, Palestinian-American philosopher and academic (d. 1986) *1921 – John Strawson, English general (d. 2014) *1921 – Regina Bianchi, Italian actress (d. 2013) *1922 – Ernest Hollings, American soldier and politician, 106th Governor of South Carolina *1922 – Jerry Robinson, American illustrator (d. 2011) *1922 – Roz Howard, American race carDRIVER (d. 2013) *1923 – Daniel Gorenstein, American mathematician and academic (d. 1992) *1923 – Milt Jackson, American vibraphonist and composer (Modern Jazz Quartet) (d. 1999) *1923 – Valentina Cortese, Italian actress *1924 – Charlie Munger, American businessman and philanthropist *1924 – Francisco Macías Nguema, Equatorial Guinean politician, 1st President of the Republic of Equatorial Guinea (d. 1979) *1925 – Matthew Beard, American actor and singer (d. 1981) *1925 – Paul Bomani, Tanzanian politician and diplomat, 1st Tanzanian Minister of Finance (d. 2005) *1925 – Raymond Pellegrin, French actor (d. 2007) *1926 – Kazys Petkevičius, Lithuanian basketball player and coach (d. 2008) *1926 – Richard Verreau, Canadian tenor (d. 2005) *1927 – Calum MacKay, Canadian ice hockey player (d. 2001) *1927 – Doak Walker, American football player (d. 1998) *1927 – Maurice Béjart, French-Swiss dancer, choreographer, and director (d. 2007) *1927 – Vernon L. Smith, American economist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate *1928 – Ernest Tidyman, American author and screenwriter (d. 1984) *1928 – Gerhard Weinberg, German-American historian, author, and academic *1929 – Haruo Nakajima, Japanese actor, stuntman, and choreographer *1929 – Joseph Lombardo, American mob boss *1929 – Larry L. King, American journalist, author, and playwright (d. 2012) *1929 – Raymond Chow, Hong Kong film producer, co-founded Orange Sky Golden Harvest *1930 – Frederick Wiseman, American director and producer *1930 – Gaafar Nimeiry, Sudanese politician, 4th President of the Sudan (d. 2009) *1930 – Jean-Pierre Duprey, French poet and sculptor (d. 1959) *1930 – Ty Hardin, American actor *1931 – Jimmy Smyth, Irish hurler (d. 2013) *1932 – Giuseppe Patanè, Italian conductor (d. 1989) *1932 – Jackie Parker, American football player and coach (d. 2006) *1932 – Leman Çıdamlı, Turkish actress (d. 2012) *1933 – Frederick Lowy, Canadian psychiatrist and academic *1933 – James Hormel, American philanthropist and diplomat, United States Ambassador to Luxembourg *1933 – Joe Orton, English author and playwright (d. 1967) *1933 – Joseph Koo, Chinese composer *1934 – Lakhdar Brahimi, Algerian politician, Algerian Minister of Foreign Affairs *1934 – Alan Berg, American television personality, talk show presenter (d. 1984) *1935 – Brian G. Hutton, American actor and director (d. 2014) *1935 – B. Kliban, American cartoonist (d. 1990) *1936 – Don Nehlen, American football player and coach *1936 – James Sinegal, American businessman, co-founded Costco *1937 – John Fuller, English poet and author *1937 – Matt Robinson, American actor and screenwriter (d. 2002) *1937 – Petros Markaris, Greek author, poet, and playwright *1938 – Clay Cole, American television host and producer (d. 2010) *1938 – Frank Langella, American actor *1938 – Robert Jankel, English businessman, founded Panther Westwinds (d. 2005) *1939 – Michèle Mercier, French actress *1941 – Asrani, Indian actor and producer *1941 – Martin Evans, English-Welsh geneticist and academic *1941 – Younoussi Touré, Malian politician, Prime Minister of Mali *1942 – Al Hunt, American journalist *1942 – Alassane Ouattara, Ivorian economist and politician, President of the Ivory Coast *1942 – Anthony Hamilton-Smith, 3rd Baron Colwyn, English dentist and politician *1942 – Country Joe McDonald, American singer-songwriter and guitarist (Country Joe and the Fish) *1942 – Dennis Archer, American lawyer and politician, 67th Mayor of Detroit *1942 – Gennadi Sarafanov, Russian colonel, pilot, and astronaut (d. 2005) *1942 – Judy Stone, Australian singer *1943 – Bud Hollowell, American baseball player and manager (d. 2014) *1943 – Don Novello, American actor, producer, and screenwriter *1943 – Raghunath Anant Mashelkar, Indian rheologist and engineer *1943 – Ronald Perelman, American businessman, founded MacAndrews & Forbes *1943 – Stanley Kamel, American actor (d. 2008) *1943 – Tony Knowles, American soldier and politician, 7th Governor of Alaska *1943 – Vladimir Šeks, Croatian lawyer and politician, 16th Speaker of the Croatian Parliament *1944 – Jimmy Hart, American wrestling manager and singer (The Gentrys) *1944 – Mati Unt, Estonian author, playwright, and director (d. 2005) *1944 – Omar al-Bashir, Sudanese field Marshal and politician, 7th President of Sudan *1944 – Teresa Torańska, Polish journalist (d. 2013) *1944 – Zafarullah Khan Jamali, Pakistani politician, 13th Prime Minister of Pakistan *1945 – Jacky Ickx, Belgian race carDRIVER *1945 – Martin Schanche, Norwegian race carDRIVER *1945 – Peter Duncan, Australian politician *1946 – Alain Voss, Brazilian-French illustrator (d. 2011) *1946 – Carl B. Hamilton, Swedish economist and politician *1946 – Rivellino, Brazilian footballer and manager *1946 – Shelby Steele, American journalist, author, and director *1946 – Susannah McCorkle, American singer (d. 2001) *1947 – Jon Corzine, American sergeant and politician, 54th Governor of New Jersey *1947 – Leonard Thompson, American golfer *1948 – Ampon Tangnoppakul, Thai criminal (d. 2012) *1948 – Devlet Bahçeli, Turkish economist, academic, and politician, 57th Deputy Prime Minister of Turkey *1948 – Dick Quax, New Zealand runner and politician *1948 – Ismael Zambada García, Mexican drug lord *1948 – Joe Petagno, American illustrator *1948 – Pavel Grachev, Russian general and politician, 1st Russian Minister of Defence (d. 2012) *1949 – Borys Tarasyuk, Ukrainian politician *1949 – Max Azria, Tunisian-French fashion designer *1949 – Olivia Goldsmith, American author (d. 2004) *1950 – Tony Currie, English footballer *1950 – Deepa Mehta, Indian-Canadian director and screenwriter *1950 – James Richardson, American poet and academic *1950 – Morgan Fisher, English keyboard player and songwriter (Mott the Hoople and Morgan) *1950 – Wayne Bennett, Australian rugby player and coach *1951 – Martha P. Haynes, American astronomer *1951 – Ashfaq Hussain, Pakistani-Canadian poet and journalist *1951 – Hans-Joachim Stuck, German race carDRIVER *1951 – Nana Patekar, Indian actor, singer, and director *1951 – Prospero Gallinari, Italian terrorist (d. 2013) *1952 – Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani, Qatari ruler, 7th Emir of Qatar *1952 – İbrahim Tatlıses, Turkish singer and actor *1952 – Rosario Marchese, Italian-Canadian educator and politician *1952 – Shaji N. Karun, Indian director and cinematographer *1952 – Stephanie Faracy, American actress *1953 – Alpha Blondy, Ivorian-American singer-songwriter *1953 – Gary Johnson, American businessman and politician, 29th Governor of New Mexico *1953 – Greg Carmichael, English guitarist (Acoustic Alchemy) *1953 – Lynn Jones, American baseball player and coach *1954 – Bob Menendez, American lawyer and politician *1954 – Dennis O'Driscoll, Irish poet and critic (d. 2012) *1954 – Richard Edson, American drummer and actor (Sonic Youth and Konk) *1954 – Yannis Papathanasiou, Greek engineer and politician, Greek Minister of Finance *1955 – Gennady Lyachin, Russian captain (d. 2000) *1955 – LaMarr Hoyt, American baseball player *1955 – Precious, Canadian wrestler *1956 – Christine Lagarde, French lawyer and politician, French Minister of Finance *1956 – Kōji Yakusho, Japanese actor *1956 – Mark R. Hughes, American businessman, founded Herbalife (d. 2000) *1956 – Mike Mitchell, American basketball player (d. 2011) *1956 – Sergei Avdeyev, Russian engineer and astronaut *1956 – Sheila McCarthy, Canadian actress and singer *1956 – Ziad Rahbani, Lebanese pianist and composer *1957 – Evangelos Venizelos, Greek lawyer and politician, Deputy Prime Minister of Greece *1957 – Mark Hurd, American businessman *1957 – Urmas Arumäe, Estonian lawyer and politician, Estonian Minister of Justice *1958 – Dave Silk, American ice hockey player and coach *1958 – Grandmaster Flash, Barbadian rapper and DJ (Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five) *1959 – Abdul Ahad Mohmand, Afghan pilot and astronaut *1959 – Andy Andrews, American tennis player *1959 – Azali Assoumani, Comorian colonel and politician, President of the Comoros *1959 – Michel Onfray, French philosopher and author *1959 – Panagiotis Giannakis, Greek basketball player and coach *1960 – Danny Wilson, English footballer and manager *1960 – Michael Seibert, American ice dancer and choreographer *1960 – Rayo de Jalisco, Jr., Mexican wrestler *1960 – Toomas Vitsut, Estonian businessman and politician *1961 – Fiona Phillips, English journalist *1961 – Sam Backo, Australian rugby player *1961 – Sam Palahnuk, American video game designer *1961 – Sergei Babayan, Armenian-American pianist and academic *1962 – Anton Muscatelli, Italian-Scottish economist and academic *1963 – Alberigo Evani, Italian footballer and manager *1963 – Dražen Ladić, Croatian footballer and manager *1963 – Jean-Marc Gounon, French race carDRIVER *1963 – Lina Kačiušytė, Lithuanian swimmer *1963 – Linda Henry, English actress *1964 – Dedee Pfeiffer, American actress and producer *1964 – Juliana Donald, American actress *1965 – Andrew Valmon, American runner and coach *1965 – John Sullivan, American politician *1966 – Anna Burke, Australian politician, 28th Speaker of the Australian House of Representatives *1966 – Ivica Dačić, Serbian journalist and politician, 95th Prime Minister of Serbia *1967 – Derrick Thomas, American football player (d. 2000) *1967 – Gorsha Sur, Russian ice dancer, coach, and choreographer *1967 – Juanma Bajo Ulloa, Spanish director and screenwriter *1967 – Sharon Small, Scottish actress *1967 – Spencer Tunick, American photographer *1967 – Tim Dog, American rapper (Ultramagnetic MCs) (d. 2013) *1968 – Davor Šuker, Croatian footballer *1968 – Felix Chong, Hong Kong actor, director, and screenwriter *1968 – Joey Stefano, American porn actor (d. 1994) *1968 – Miki Higashino, Japanese pianist and composer *1969 – Christi Paul, Hong Kong-American journalist *1969 – Morris Chestnut, American actor and producer *1969 – Nicolle Dickson, Australian actress *1969 – Paul Lawrie, Scottish golfer and journalist *1969 – Verne Troyer, American actor and stuntman *1970 – Kimberly Page, American wrestling manager and actress *1970 – Sergei Kiriakov, Russian footballer *1971 – Bobby Holík, Czech-American ice hockey player *1971 – Chris Potter, American saxophonist and composer *1971 – Juan Carlos Plata, Guatemalan footballer *1971 – Jyotiraditya Madhavrao Scindia, Indian politician *1971 – Phoebus, Greek songwriter and producer *1971 – Rodney, American wrestler *1971 – Sammie Henson, American wrestler *1972 – Barron Miles, American-Canadian football player and coach *1972 – Garrett K. Gomez, American jockey *1972 – Lilian Thuram, French footballer *1973 – Bryan Thao Worra, Laotian-American author, poet, and playwright *1973 – Danny Lloyd, American actor and educator *1973 – Li Fang, Chinese tennis player *1973 – Magnus Sahlgren, Swedish guitarist (Lake of Tears, Dismember, and Tiamat) *1973 – Shelda Bede, Brazilian volleyball player *1974 – Christian Paradis, Canadian lawyer and politician, 9th Canadian Minister of Industry *1975 – Becky Kellar-Duke, Canadian ice hockey player *1975 – Bengt Sæternes, Norwegian footballer and manager *1975 – Chris Anstey, Australian basketball player and coach *1975 – Eiichiro Oda, Japanese illustrator *1975 – Fernando Tatís, Dominican baseball player *1975 – Joe Cannon, American soccer player *1975 – Mohamed Albuflasa, Bahraini poet and activist *1975 – Sonali Bendre, Indian model and actress *1977 – Hasan Salihamidžić, Bosnian footballer *1977 – Jerry Yan, Taiwanese actor and singer (F4) *1977 – Leoš Friedl, Czech tennis player *1977 – María de la Paz Hernández, Argentinian field hockey player *1978 – Nina Bott, German actress *1978 – Philip Mulryne, Irish footballer *1978 – Vidya Balan, Indian model and actress *1978 – Yohann Diniz, French race walker *1979 – Brody Dalle, Australian-American singer-songwriter and guitarist (The Distillers and Spinnerette) *1979 – Fadi El Khatib, Lebanese basketball player *1979 – Kathryn Thomas, Irish television host *1979 – Koichi Domoto, Japanese singer-songwriter and actor (KinKi Kids) *1980 – Daniil Sapljoshin, Estonian kick-boxer *1980 – Elin Nordegren, Swedish-American model *1980 – Karina Jacobsgaard, Danish tennis player *1980 – Lazaros Agadakos, Greek basketball player *1980 – Richie Faulkner, English guitarist and songwriter (Judas Priest) *1981 – Abdülkadir Koçak, Turkish boxer *1981 – Eden Riegel, American actress *1981 – Jacqui Maxwell, Australian actress *1981 – Jonas Armstrong, Irish actor *1981 – Mladen Petrić, Croatian footballer *1981 – Zsolt Baumgartner, Hungarian race carDRIVER *1982 – David Nalbandian, Argentinian tennis player *1982 – Egidio Arévalo Ríos, Uruguayan footballer *1982 – Luke Rodgers, English footballer *1983 – Calum Davenport, English footballer *1983 – Emi Kobayashi, Japanese model and actress *1983 – Melaine Walker, Jamaican hurdler *1983 – Park Sung-hyun, South Korean archer *1983 – Thomas Morrison, English actor *1984 – Alok Kapali, Bangladeshi cricketer *1984 – Cheung Kin Fung, Hong Kong footballer *1984 – Christian Eigler, German footballer *1984 – Michael Witt, Australian rugby player *1984 – Mohammed Ghaddar, Lebanese footballer *1984 – Paolo Guerrero, Peruvian footballer *1984 – Rubens Sambueza, Argentinian footballer *1984 – Stefano Pastrello, Italian footballer *1985 – Jeff Carter, Canadian ice hockey player *1985 – Eyjólfur Héðinsson, Icelandic footballer and model *1985 – Steven Davis, Northern Irish footballer *1985 – Tiago Splitter, Brazilian basketball player *1986 – Pablo Cuevas, Uruguayan tennis player *1986 – Glen Davis, American basketball player *1986 – Lee Sungmin, South Korean singer, dancer, and actor (Super Junior) *1986 – Colin Morgan, Northern Irish actor *1987 – Gilbert Brulé, Canadian ice hockey player *1987 – Meryl Davis, American ice dancer *1987 – Gia Coppola, American film director *1987 – Estefanía Craciún, Uruguayan tennis player *1987 – Devin Setoguchi, Canadian ice hockey player *1988 – Nelufar Hedayat, Afghan-English journalist *1988 – Ghazala Javed, Pakistani singer and dancer (d. 2012) *1988 – Grzegorz Panfil, Polish tennis player *1989 – Adèle Haenel, French actress *1989 – Stefan Reinartz, German footballer *1990 – Bugoy Cariño, Filipino actor *1990 – Safaa Rashed, Iraqi weightlifter *1992 – Daniel Kofi Agyei, Ghanaian footballer *1992 – René Binder, Austrian race carDRIVER *1992 – Ali Ferydoon, Irani footballer *1992 – He Kexin, Chinese gymnast *1992 – Jack Wilshere, English footballer *1993 – Jon Flanagan, English footballer *1993 – Michael Olaitan, Nigerian footballer *1994 – Craig Murray, Scottish footballer *1999 – Diamond White, American actress and singer Deaths *510 – Eugendus, French saint (b. 449) *680 – Javanshir, Albanian king (b. 616) *898 – Odo of France (b. 860) *962 – Baldwin III, Count of Flanders (b. 940) *1204 – Haakon III of Norway (b. 1170) *1387 – Charles II of Navarre (b. 1332) *1515 – Louis XII of France (b. 1462) *1559 – Christian III of Denmark (b. 1503) *1560 – Joachim du Bellay, French poet and critic (b. 1522) *1617 – Hendrik Goltzius, Dutch painter and illustrator (b. 1558) *1697 – Filippo Baldinucci, Florentine historian and author (b. 1624) *1716 – William Wycherley, English playwright (b. c.1641) *1748 – Johann Bernoulli, Swiss mathematician and academic (b. 1667) *1759 – Jacques-Joachim Trotti, marquis de La Chétardie, French diplomat (b. 1705) *1766 – James Francis Edward Stuart, English son of James II of England (b. 1688) *1782 – Johann Christian Bach, German composer (b. 1735) *1789 – Fletcher Norton, 1st Baron Grantley, English lawyer and politician, British Speaker of the House of Commons (b. 1716) *1793 – Francesco Guardi, Venetian painter (b. 1712) *1796 – Alexandre-Théophile Vandermonde, French mathematician andCHEMIST (b. 1735) *1817 – Martin Heinrich Klaproth, GermanCHEMIST AND academic (b. 1743) *1846 – John Torrington, English soldier and explorer (b. 1825) *1853 – Gregory Blaxland, Australian farmer and explorer (b. 1778) *1862 – Mikhail Ostrogradsky, Ukrainian mathematician and physicist (b. 1801) *1881 – Louis Auguste Blanqui, French activist (b. 1805) *1892 – Roswell B. Mason, American politician, 25th Mayor of Chicago (b. 1805) *1894 – Heinrich Hertz, German physicist and academic (b. 1857) *1896 – Alfred Ely Beach, American publisher and lawyer, created the Beach Pneumatic Transit (b. 1826) *1906 – Hugh Nelson, Scottish-Australian politician, 11th Premier of Queensland (b. 1835) *1918 – William Wilfred Campbell, Canadian poet and author (b. 1858) *1919 – Mikhail Drozdovsky, Russian general (b. 1881) *1921 – Theobald von Bethmann-Hollweg, German politician, 5th Chancellor of Germany (b. 1856) *1922 – István Kühár, Slovene priest and politician (b. 1887) *1931 – Martinus Beijerinck, Dutch microbiologist and botanist (b. 1851) *1940 – Panuganti Lakshminarasimha Rao, Indian author and educator (b. 1865) *1944 – Charles Turner, Australian cricketer (b. 1862) *1944 – Edwin Lutyens, English architect, designed the Castle Drogo and Thiepval Memorial (b. 1869) *1953 – Hank Williams, American singer-songwriter and guitarist (Drifting Cowboys) (b. 1923) *1954 – Duff Cooper, English politician and diplomat, Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster (b. 1890) *1954 – Leonard Bacon, American poet and critic (b. 1887) *1955 – Arthur C. Parker, American archaeologist and historian (b. 1881) *1955 – Shanti Swaroop Bhatnagar, IndianCHEMIST AND academic (b. 1894) *1957 – Seán South, Irish Republican Army volunteer (b. 1928) *1957 – Fergal O'Hanlon, Irish Republican Army volunteer (b. 1936) *1958 – Edward Weston, American photographer (b. 1886) *1960 – Aimé Clariond, French actor (b. 1894) *1960 – Margaret Sullavan, American actress and screenwriter (b. 1909) *1965 – Emma Asson, Estonian historian and politician (b. 1889) *1966 – Vincent Auriol, French journalist and politician, 16th President of the French Republic (b. 1884) *1969 – Bruno Söderström, Swedish pole vaulter and javelin thrower (b. 1888) *1971 – Amphilochius of Pochayiv, Ukrainian saint (b. 1894) *1972 – Maurice Chevalier, French actor and singer (b. 1888) *1973 – Sergei Kourdakov, Russian KGB agent (b. 1951) *1978 – Don Freeman, American author and illustrator (b. 1908) *1980 – Pietro Nenni, Italian journalist and politician, Italian Minister of Foreign Affairs (b. 1891) *1981 – Hephzibah Menuhin, American-Australian pianist (b. 1920) *1982 – Victor Buono, American actor (b. 1938) *1984 – Alexis Korner, French-English singer-songwriter and guitarist (Blues Incorporated and Collective Consciousness Society) (b. 1928) *1985 – Sigerson Clifford, Irish poet, playwright, and civil servant (b. 1913) *1987 – Jack Latham, American actor, and journalist (b. 1914) *1989 – Aleka Stratigou, Greek actress (b. 1926) *1992 – Grace Hopper, AmericanCOMPUTER scientist and admiral, co-developed COBOL (b. 1906) *1994 – Arthur Porritt, Baron Porritt, New Zealand physician and politician, 11th Governor-General of New Zealand (b. 1900) *1994 – Cesar Romero, American actor, singer, and dancer (b. 1907) *1994 – Edward Arthur Thompson, Irish historian and academic (b. 1914) *1995 – Eugene Wigner, Hungarian-American physicist and mathematician, Nobel Prize laureate (b. 1902) *1995 – Fred West, English serial killer (b. 1941) *1996 – Arleigh Burke, American admiral (b. 1901) *1996 – Arthur Rudolph, German engineer (b. 1906) *1997 – Ivan Graziani, Italian singer-songwriter and guitarist (b. 1945) *1997 – Townes Van Zandt, American singer-songwriter, guitarist, and producer (b. 1944) *1998 – Helen Wills, American tennis player and coach (b. 1905) *2000 – Colin Vaughan, Australian-Canadian journalist and activist (b. 1931) *2001 – Ray Walston, American actor and singer (b. 1914) *2002 – Julia Phillips, American film producer and author (b. 1944) *2003 – Dumitru Tinu, Romanian journalist (b. 1940) *2003 – Joe Foss, American pilot, politician, and broadcaster, 20th Governor of South Dakota (b. 1915) *2003 – Royce D. Applegate, American actor and screenwriter (b. 1939) *2005 – Eugene J. Martin, American painter (b. 1938) *2005 – Shirley Chisholm, American educator, politician, and author (b. 1924) *2006 – Dawn Lake, Australian comedian, actress, and singer (b. 1927) *2006 – Harry Magdoff, American economist and journalist (b. 1913) *2006 – Hugh McLaughlin, Irish publisher,INVENTED the Water hog (b. 1918) *2007 – Darrent Williams, American football player (b. 1982) *2007 – Leon Davidson, AmericanCHEMIST AND engineer (b. 1922) *2007 – Roland Levinsky, South African-English biochemist and academic (b. 1943) *2008 – Harold Corsini, American photographer and educator (b. 1919) *2008 – Peter Caffrey, Irish-English actor (b. 1949) *2008 – Pratap Chandra Chunder, Indian educator and politician (b. 1919) *2008 – Salvatore Bonanno, American mobster (b. 1932) *2009 – Aarne Arvonen, Finnish super-centenarian (b. 1897) *2009 – Claiborne Pell, American captain and politician (b. 1918) *2009 – Nizar Rayan, Palestinian Hamas leader (b. 1962) *2009 – Sheikh Ahmed Salim Swedan Kenyan terrorist (b. 1960) *2010 – Lhasa de Sela, American-Mexican singer-songwriter (b. 1972) *2011 – Flemming Jørgensen, Danish singer-songwriter, bass player, and actor (Bamses Venner) (b. 1947) *2011 – Marin Constantin, Romanian composer and conductor (b. 1925) *2012 – Alessandro Liberati, Italian physician and epidemiologist (b. 1954) *2012 – Bob Anderson, English fencer, stuntman, and choreographer (b. 1922) *2012 – Carlos Soria, Argentinian lawyer and politician (b. 1948) *2012 – Fred Milano, American singer (The Belmonts and Dion and the Belmonts) (b. 1939) *2012 – Kiro Gligorov, Bulgarian-Macedonian lawyer and politician, 1st President of the Republic of Macedonia (b. 1917) *2012 – Nay Win Maung, Burmese physician, businessman, and activist (b. 1962) *2012 – Tommy Mont, American football player and coach (b. 1922) *2012 – Yafa Yarkoni, Israeli singer and actress (b. 1925) *2013 – Barbara Werle, American actress and singer (b. 1928) *2013 – Christopher Martin-Jenkins, English journalist (b. 1945) *2013 – Michael Patrick Cronan, AmericanGRAPHIC DESIGNER (b. 1951) *2013 – Patti Page, American singer and actress (b. 1927) *2013 – Yuri Alexandrov, Russian boxer (b. 1963) *2014 – Higashifushimi Kunihide, Japanese monk and educator (b. 1910) *2014 – Juanita Moore, American actress (b. 1914) *2014 – Michael Glennon, Australian priest (b. 1944) *2014 – Pete DeCoursey, American journalist (b. 1961) *2014 – William Mgimwa, Tanzanian banker and politician, 13th Tanzanian Minister of Finance (b. 1950) *2015 – Boris Morukov, Russian physician and astronaut (b. 1950) *2015 – Donna Douglas, American actress and singer (b. 1933) *2015 – Jeff Golub, American guitarist (b. 1955) *2015 – Mario Cuomo, American lawyer and politician, 52nd Governor of New York (b. 1932) *2015 – Ninón Sevilla, Cuban-Mexican actress and dancer (b. 1929) *2015 – Omar Karami, Lebanese lawyer and politician, 58th Prime Minister of Lebanon (b. 1934) Holidays and observances *Christian feast day: **Adalard of Corbie **Basil the Great (Eastern Orthodox Church) **Feast of the Circumcision of Christ **Feast of the Holy Name of Jesus (Lutheran Church) **Fulgentius of Ruspe **Giuseppe Maria Tomasi **Solemnity of Mary, Mother of God, the Octave Day of Christmas, considered a holy day of obligation in some countries (Catholic Church) **Telemachus **World Day of Peace (Catholic Church) **Zygmunt Gorazdowski **January 1 (Eastern Orthodox liturgics) *Constitution Day (Italy) *Dissolution of Czechoslovakia related observances: **Day of the Establishment of the Slovak Republic (Slovakia) **Restoration Day of the Independent Czech State (Czech Republic) *Earliest day on which Handsel Monday can fall, while January 7 is the latest; celebrated on the first Monday of the year (Scotland) *Founding Day (Taiwan) *Global Family Day (International) *Independence Day, celebrates the independence of Brunei from United Kingdom in 1984 *Independence Day, celebrates the independence of Haiti from France in 1804 *Independence Day, celebrates the independence of Sudan from United Kingdom in 1956 *National Tree Planting Day (Tanzania) *New Year's Day (many countries around the world using the Gregorian calendar) *Public Domain Day *The eighth of the Twelve Days of Christmas (Western Christianity) *The last day of Kwanzaa (United States) *The presidents of Brazil and Switzerland take possession. *Triumph of the Revolution (Cuba) Category:Days of the year Category:January